Detachable electrical connection.



PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905.

A. N. LAWRENCE, JR. DETAGHABLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APB.15, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DETACHABLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed April 15, 1905, Serial No 255,819.

To all 1071.012 it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTINE N. LAW- RENCE, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Electrical Connections, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to a detachable electrical connection and is capable of a variety of applications.

The object of my invention is to improve and simplify such connections; and one obj ect of my invention is to provide an electric plug which may be easily inserted in or re moved from a socket.

The ordinaryplug in order to be inserted in a screw-socket must be given several revolutions in order to seat the same, and if an electric wire is attached to the plug the necessary revolution of the plug is likely to form kinks in the wire.

One object of my invention is to provide a plug which may be pushed directly into the socket and which will avoid the objections above noted to the ordinary screw-plug.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a socket of the receptacle type fitted with my improved attachment-plug, the shell being shown in section; and Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the plug.

As shown in the drawings, the screw-threaded socket-shell 2 is secured to the usual insulatingbase 3, provided with a central contact 6. The shell and contact comprise the two terminals of an electric circuit.

The plug 1, of insulation, preferably of porcelain, may be provided with a recessed lower face to contain the binding-post nuts 8 9, by which the conductors 1011 may be respectivelysecured, while the outer side of the preferably cylindrical plug is formed with recesses 12, adapted to contain spring-contact fingers 5 5, which are suitably connected to one of the terminals. These contact-springs 5 are preferably provided with projecting bent-out portions 13, which are adapted to engage and resiliently hold against the corrugated threaded socket-shell 2. For this purpose I preferably arrange the bent-out portions of the plurality of spring fingers or contacts in a helical manner, so as to substantially coincide with the pitch of the threaded shell 2. The plurality of spring-contacts may be connected to the base in any desired manner.

I have shown them in this application as fastened to a common metal collar 14, which in turn is held in place by a screw 15, passing through the insulation of the plug and acting as the binding-post for one of the conductors.

The body of non-conduction material is so shaped as to be adapted to enter a socket, its diameter being less than the internal diameter of the socket. The resilient contact pieces or fingers of metal normally project beyond the outer circumference of the plug; but upon pressing the plug into the socket they retire into their recesses and then spring out to contact with the grooves of the threaded shell.

It will be observed that in my construction the plug may be shoved directly into the socket to its seating position, and the springs are protected from injury by being below the top of the plug and located around the outer surface of the plug. The plug may be easily, and quickly attached to or removed from the socket and avoids the objections above specified to the ordinary screw-plug.

I amaware that many variations may be made from the constructions heretofore illustrated and described without departing from my invention as claimed, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular constructions shown and described.

I claim as my invention 1. An attachment-plug, the same including a body of non-conducting material having a portion shaped to enter a socket, said portion being provided with a recess, a resilient piece of metal in said recess and normally projecting therefrom, said piece having a portion formed to engage screw-threads, a central contact on said plug, a terminal connected to said contact, and a second terminal connected to said resilient piece, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a screw-threaded socket shell, an attachment plug having a central contact, one or more spring-contact fingers and an insulating-body part carrying said contact-fingers, said body part being of less width thanthe shell, and said fingers re siliently mounted thereon and normally proj ecting beyond the body and adapted to yield toward said plug and allow the insertion of said plug and fingers into said shell.

3. In combination with a socket-shell, an attachment-plug having a central contact, one or more spring-contact fingers and a recessed insulating-body part adapted to re ceive the contact-fingers, said body part be- ICC siliently mountedthereon and normally projecting beyond the body, said fingers having projections thereon solocated on the contactfingers of a plug as to lie in a helical path.

Signed at Philadelphia, this 27th day of March, 1905.

AUGUSTINE N. LAWRENCE, JR.

Witnesses M. O. MORROW, CHAS. H. MAOHEN 

